Day 3 – Into the Wilderness
Last week (Day 2) focused on the Land of Promise seeing the Valley of Elah and Beersheba in the Negev. Today we will continue into the Wilderness and visit Tel Arad, oversee the wilderness of Zin, hike the Zin Valley, and travel to the Dead Sea. This is the land of the Patriarchs, the Land of Promise, the land of hope and opportunity. It is a hard, dry, and thirsty land.
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| Life growing in the desert |
Last year, as we were walking up to Tel Arad, one traveler commented, “why do so many fight for this land? Who would want this dry ground? It’s terrible!” His frustrated comment came in part from the heat, lack of conditioning, and being accustomed to the rolling hills of Ohio. When you see it for the first time, you may wonder why people would want to live in the wilderness but when you look deeper, there is a beauty, a mystery, and a hope that only the wilderness can reveal.
Have you been in a wilderness? Not just literally, but spiritually? Emotionally? A dry and thirsty land where God’s presence seems distant, prayers are difficult, the Bible becomes hard to understand, and it feels very lonely? As believers we can often feel like God is judging us or punishing us by allowing us to encounter wilderness seasons, but the wilderness is pregnant with possibilities of encountering God in a deeper, fuller way.
The writer of Hebrews reminds us that, “for the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it” (Heb. 12:11, ESV). God uses discipline to promote growth, maturity, and dependence on Him. The Bible is filled with stories demonstrating the importance of the wilderness to shape the people of God for their encounter with God.
Before we consider our specific stops on this day, I want you to reflect on a few of the important stories of encounter in the wilderness.
Elijah (1 Kings 19:1-18), had just experienced a victory for God on Mount Carmel (we will visit this story on Day 11). Although God had showed up in a miraculous way, Elijah’s victory was short lived personally. Queen Jezebel threatened his life and he fled into the wilderness. As we visit Beersheba on Day 2 and take our time traveling north exploring the land, pay attention to how far Elijah ran from Jezebel. He was scared for his life, felt abandoned and alone.
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| Overlooking the Wilderness of Zin |
Elijah was physically, spiritually, and emotionally exhausted and finally stopped in the wilderness a day and half away from Beersheba. God did not condemn or scold him. He sent an angel to provide for him. Elijah needed sleep. He was dehydrated and needed water. He was hungry and needed food. The wilderness reveals our humanness and our need for a provider.
God led Elijah deeper into the wilderness to Mt Horeb. It was there that Elijah learned a profound lesson that God’s ways are not our ways. God was not in the wind, the earthquake, or in the fire. God was in a whisper, a still small voice. The significance of a whisper is proximity. You must be close enough and quiet enough to hear a whisper. A still small voice speaks quietly, gently, and yet powerfully. It is in the intimacy of the whisper that God confirmed his calling on Elijah, revealed his plan to him, and empowered him for his work.
David (1 Sam 23) often took refuge in the wilderness as he ran from Saul in his early years, or hid from his son, Absalom in his later years. There are many stories of David in the wilderness, but on this encounter, David’s journey into the wilderness provided the opportunity for a friendship to be confirmed. Jonathan found David in the wilderness and blessed him (1 Sam. 23:17-18). Jonathan confirmed God’s promise to David and declared his support for David. It was in the wilderness that they covenanted their loyalty for each other. The wilderness revealed a genuine friendship.
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| Wilderness of Zin |
Jesus (Matt 4:1-11) entered into the wilderness near Jericho, which we will visit the Mt. of Temptation on Day 9. This story is a reminder to us that entering into the wilderness is not a punishment for sin but a preparation for God’s work in our lives. Jesus, having just been baptized by John the Baptizer, headed out into the wilderness for an epic encounter with the enemy of our souls. Jesus fasted for 40 days and endured the temptations from Satan himself. In this encounter in the wilderness, Jesus overcame the temptations by quoting from the book of Deuteronomy (8:3; 6:16; 6:13). Jesus showed us the power of the Word of God for victory over temptation. He also demonstrated victory over the categories of temptations that we all face as seen in 1 John 2:15–17,
15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. 17 And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.
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| Entering into the Valley of Zin |
Paul (Gal. 1:11-20) having had a unique and powerful conversion experience on the road to Damascus, entered into Arabia before returning to Jerusalem three years later. This little detail is often overlooked in the conversion story of Paul, but it is worth slowing down for a moment to examine. He does not say why he went into the wilderness, but he must have recognized the powerful opportunity of preparation and revelation the wilderness provides for those who follow God. We do know that he continued to preach and teach in the synagogues, which reveals that he was not being reclusive. Paul used the wilderness to encounter God and confirm his calling.
There are many more examples from the Bible on encountering the wilderness. I hope from these four stories to shape the way we perceive the wilderness as we step into the land. The wilderness is a place of separation, preparation, revelation, and promise.
2 And you shall remember the whole way that the LORD your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not. 3 And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD. 4 Your clothing did not wear out on you and your foot did not swell these forty years. 5 Know then in your heart that, as a man disciplines his son, the LORD your God disciplines you. 6 So you shall keep the commandments of the LORD your God by walking in his ways and by fearing him. (ESV)
The wilderness is hard, it is a dry and thirsty land. As we encounter wilderness seasons in our lives, we will struggle to see what God is doing. Often it is only in getting through that we can look back and see his constant hand and provision for us. It is important that we seek to be faithful and persevere in the wilderness, lest we miss out on the blessing that God has prepared for us.
Zin Valley (Num. 20:1-13)
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| Water flows from the rock in the Zin Valley |
Moses and the people of God spent 40 years in the wilderness experiencing the process of separation, preparation, revelation, and promise. Despite seeing God’s faithfulness and provision throughout the decades, Moses allowed his frustration of the people in the wilderness to provoke his anger and disobey God. God told him to speak to the rock and he struck the rock. Even in Moses’ disobedience, God allowed water to flow from the rock and bless the people. However, Moses forfeited his opportunity to enter the Promise Land.
As we walk the trail down the Zin Valley and encounter the place in which this story unfolded, we see evidence of God’s provision and life in the wilderness. There are many lessons we will learn along the way, but do not miss the important lesson that Moses gives us concerning wilderness experiences. Disobedience in the wilderness does not forfeit the relationship with God but may lead to missing out on the blessing God intends for us to receive having gone through the wilderness with preserving faith. Moses is still considered one of the greatest leaders and most faithful servants of God. He worked hard and endured so much for the Israelites in their journey toward the Promised Land. He did not get to experience the Promised Land in his earthly life but his relationship with the Father was secure and he entered into His eternal rest.
Tel Arad (Num. 21:1-3; 33:40)
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| Walking up to Tel Arad |
Arad is a city during Bible times but does not play a pivotal role in the biblical story. It would have been among the region explored by the 12 spies (Num 13:17-24). It does appear in stories of opposition and conquest where Israel defeats Arad (Num 21:1-3; 33:40; Josh 12:14, 7-24; Judges 1:16). Tel Arad, like Tel Be’er Sheva, provide an amazing opportunity see how these ancient cities were constructed and learn about the people who lived there.
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| The Holy of Holies at Tel Arad |
Tel Arad reveals that the Israelites had an influence on the city’s layout. Tel Arad has a unique temple that is laid out very similar to the Temple constructed in Jerusalem. It was complete with an outer court, an altar, a Holy Place, altars for incense, and a Holy of Holies. The existence of this temple reveals the peoples’ disobedience to the Lord’s command to only worship where he instructed them to (Deut. 12:1-14, 29-32). The people were to go to Jerusalem to worship God. This temple also reveals how disobedience in one area leads to compromise in another. The Tel Arad temple reveals an altar to YHWH and to Asherah, a false female god. This is called syncretism, where one religion is combined with another. To read more about Tel Arad, click HERE.
One last thought, the wilderness is a place of hope. As we walk through the dry and dusty land, as we see Tel Arad, the wilderness of Zin, and head to the Dead Sea, consider the promises of God in Isaiah 35. One day this wilderness will be full of life again, just as Jesus restores life to the dry soul of those who believe (Matt. 11:28-30; John 10:10). It is my prayer that as you encounter the wilderness of the land of promise, that you too will see the beauty and mystery that awaits those who have ears to hear and eyes to see.
Reflection Questions
Has God ever led you into the wilderness? Did you feel like it was a place of God’s judgment? Have you experienced God’s faithfulness and benefited from your time in the wilderness (Heb. 12:11)?
Consider Elijah, David, Jesus, and Paul. Which of their wilderness stories most resonates with you?
Elijah’s story in the wilderness reminds us of our human frailty and need. Reflect on his story and read through Psalm 103. How does this psalm give hope in the wilderness of life?
The wilderness is a place of separation, preparation, revelation, and hope. How would you describe the lessons you have learned in your own wilderness experience? What lessons do you hope to learn from your experience in the wilderness?
Read through Isaiah 35. What images come to mind as you reflect on these words? How does this promise of life coming back to the desert give you hope in the dry seasons of life?
Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for your faithful patience and compassion to meet and guide me through the wilderness of life. I confess that life can be overwhelming, difficult, and feel like a dry and thirsty land. Give me strength today to faithfully persevere and trust you even when I am in a wilderness season. Remind me continually that the wilderness is not a place of judgment but is a place to encounter you and grow closer to you. Give me ears to hear and eyes to see your hand guiding me. Thank you for the examples of Elijah, David, Paul, and especially Jesus who went through the wilderness. Thank you that Jesus overcame the wilderness and offers rest for my soul. I place my hope in you today. In Jesus name, Amen.
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